Thierry Henry and why going back to the past is not a bad thing

Thierry Henry proves that returning back to past is not always a sign of a retrospective acceptance of current failure. Actually, maybe that's exactly what it is. But it also shows a sign of bravery to accept that you were once happier and more successful than you are now. And you'd like to go back to that, and you accept that.

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I'm secretly hoping this was a movie trailer.

Red Card

Money makes the world go round, it seems. The integrity of the World Cup and the FA has suffered a serious blow following the resignation of the FA Chairman after a scandalous revelation by the Mail on Sunday. And as the England 2018 World Cup bid lies in uncertainty, it will be interesting to see what happens in the upcoming matches of the current Euro holders next month. Spanish football is notorious not only for the show it can put on display regarding football skills, but also for the foul play of players when it comes to dives, 'cramps' and general theatrical skills.

Referees were never to be trusted, but this takes things on a whole new level.

Charity case Arsenal

I didn't watch the game yesterday, and am I glad I didn't. I checked the score when it was 0-2 and thought it was all over. That's probably what Wenger's boys thought as well. After one of United's (unfortunately) many wins against us in recent years, Patrice Evra had stated "We are men, they are boys", and his words are resonating loudly in my ears game after game as all our title hopes fade away once again two short steps till the end. Mistakes, in life but also in football in particular, are repeated until learned. If you refuse to learn from your mistakes, they will come back to haunt you. Wenger's biggest mistake has been his stubborn denial of the team's gagging need for transfers. Turning our reserves into starting line-up material has become a tiring and fruitless process. When it does turn fruitful, we sell off the fat of our land to our Champions League competitors in exchange for cash that is stored safely amongst spiderwebs under the title 'Funds', never to see the light of day again.

I am not doubting Arsene Wenger's managerial skills. The man, with the right material, can create wonder teams, like the Invincibles who gave us Arsenal fans so many joys in the past. But, his current behaviour is depriving himself of the needed material to recreate a set of Invincibles, and the team of any titles. What is currently happening is the creation of a vicious circle. If you develop talent into world class players, like Cesc, but you don't provide them with the support they need in the field to play at the top of their game and actually win some silverware at the end of each season, they will leave the team. They will go somewhere else where they can actually win titles, or at least derbies, for that matter, and abandon you with the hope that you will rediscover some raw talent amidst the youngsters that have joined your club to get their best prospects, only to be developed, not win something, and move on to something better. What I'm trying to say, shortly, is that we're not good enough. Sad but true.

Arsenal has become a charity case of many sorts. We have probably, this far, provided Tottenham with a Champions League ticket, Wigan with a Premier League lifeline, and I don't even want to think what will happen when the transfer window opens and all those European vultures start heading towards our few good players.

Mr Wenger needs to splash some cash this summer if we are to compete the way we should be next year. Enough last minute wins, enough sloppy goals, enough embarrassing defeats. Yes, we have been badly struck by injuries, but some positions are still screaming for suitable replacements. Starting with the goalie. Our best season in recent years was, coincidentally, Lehmann's best. Almunia is not good enough. Fabianski? I won't even go there. Who has Flamini been replaced by? Who is good enough to support a fit Robin Van Persie in the box? If we are to keep Vermaelen, Fabregas, Nasri, Arshavin and RVP, more players of their class need to join the squad. Only then will we contend strongly for the title, and attempt an honorable return to the days of Thierry and his gang, when we weren't praying for other teams to drop points to keep the chase alive but only had to focus on winning our own games to stay at the top.